December 20, 2012
“We’re all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way.” Isaiah 53:6a The Message
What a picture of your life: scattered .. wandering off .. lost .. doing your own thing .. going your own way. We even live in a world that celebrates such “independence”. And when it all goes wrong we blame God or at least try to prosecute Him for not making things better. As if He owes us? Jesus is God’s grace-birthed guarantee. His very life has locked God in. He’s not going to change his mind. He’s come for wanderers .. scattered and scarred .. lost and scared .. independent and isolated .. self-centered and successfully defeated. He knows clearly what we are like and he’s not changing his mind. He knows clearly what you are like inside and out and he’s promised something unbelievably greater than your unimaginable mess. He’s so real you can grab hold with both hands. And if you are too weak to grab hold, he will grab hold of you and won’t let go. You can run .. walk .. limp .. crawl and collapse in the rock-solid guarantee of God’s unchangeable promise. Jesus was born for you. Yes .. it is personal. And Yes .. He is the unbreakable promise of your life. Isn’t it nice to know today that this same Jesus came after someone just like you two thousand years ago? But God made his promise long before Jesus ever travelled down a birth canal. It doesn’t take much to get lost. You can wander off in your mind and find yourself stuck in corners of shame. You can even hit bottom on the inside while your outside life is being admired and promoted. Isn’t it grace to know that God isn’t going to break his word. In Christ you have forgiveness and you can hold on with both hands. And at the same time you can reach out and take hold of another hand looking to find the way home. Jesus isn’t going to walk off from your life today. Your own thing? Your own way? You can trust Him to never let go. It only takes a moment …
“When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee — God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go.” Hebrews 6:18-19 The Message
Ken Chester: Grace-Gripped is sent M-F to Sheep who belong to Jesus and friends of Priority One (ken@priorityone.org)
